To Beat The Devil
by Gothic984
Summary: Billy's arraignment is scheduled and his friends have to deal with his current imprisonment, as Lucas is unwilling to back down from the actions he has set in motion.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings, New Year, Picture Perfect, Kinship, Big River and Sunday Morning Coming Down.

It was a quiet early Spring afternoon in Trinity SC, the sun shone high in the sky and the calm breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding the Town Hall. The children of the town were still in school, which meant the parents were out completing their errands in peace before having to deal with their small ones. This was Lucas Bucks favorite time of the working day, as there was a calmness in the air while his residents were preoccupied before the coming storm of the end of school bell.

This part of town did not have many stores, it was home for such businesses like The Trinity Guardian and Edwin's Law Firm. He supposed this would be seen as the business district of the town, for all the professionals that managed to go through college and get a well paid job. He could not stand the upper class professionals of the town and how they looked down their noses at people they believed were of a lesser class; however, they did not cause him much trouble and if they did he always had fun bringing them down a peg or two.

Lucas was sat smugly outside the large Town Hall in his Crown Victoria car, tapping a pen on the dashboard. He was in no rush to complete this particular task and wanted to savor the whole process; therefore, he sat for a few moments longer admiring the beauty and calmness of his town, then got out of the car and opened the back passenger door. 'Come on Billy-boy, justice awaits' he smiled and signaled for the man to get out of his car.

Billy walked up the steps of the large building, he had never really appreciated it's true size until he was this close. He had expected to be taken to a small courthouse for his arraignment; however, Lucas had informed him that all the big cases were done in the courthouse within the Town Hall building and being a big Doctor from out of town, he could look forward to a very public trial.

Lucas smiled and nodded courtly to people as he entered the Town Hall and led his prisoner to the courthouse, this display amused him and he had forgotten how much satisfaction he got from taking this route with stubborn members of the society rather than a more permanent solution. He was taken out of his train of thought when he caught sight of Gail looking very professional in a pin striped short skirt and white blouse, with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She was standing with the other Reporters; however, unlike the other vultures she had no tape recorder or equipment and just stood with her arms crossed shaking her head.

Lucas led his prisoner over to the Reporters and stood him in front of them so his picture could be taken, he left his side for a moment and approached his love who was staring at him in disgust. 'Good afternoon Miss Emory, you're lookin' mighty fine today if I do say so myself' he said smugly.

Gail inhaled deeply and shot him an unimpressed look at his actions. 'This display is unethical and uncalled for...get him out of here Lucas' she ordered, being careful to keep her voice down so the other Reporters could not hear, the last thing she needed was them commenting on her closeness to the Sheriff.

Lucas laughed and put on his best southern gentleman smile. 'This is a trial Darlin', he ain't goin' anywhere and he's my prisoner to do with what I see fit'

Gail stared at him in disdain for a moment, attempting to push down her rage then pushed past him and grabbed her friend by the arm. 'What are you all doing? This man hasn't done anything wrong and hasn't been proven guilty, so if I see anything fabricated or exaggerated in any article I'll have you all on falsification' she warned, then pushed Billy into the courthouse and smiled sweetly at Lucas' look of irritation when he past her to retrieve his prisoner.

Lucas was surprised at Gail's reaction, she would not usually allow people see him rile her up to ensure she had deniability about their relationship. The reaction in front of her colleagues would be the gossip of the town today and he would have to ensure he took full advantage of that. 'Come on Billy-boy, your audience awaits' he whispered in his prisoners ear and walked him to his seat in the courtroom.

Billy looked back at Gail as the courtroom door closed and he was left alone with just the court officials and Lucas. She appeared worried and he had wanted to reassure that everything would be alright; however, he knew better than to assume such a thing with Lucas Buck running the show. This hearing was just to enter his official plea and although he was unsure of what that was at this moment in time, he would behave in a respectable manner and would not give Lucas the satisfaction of seeing him crumble under the pressure.

* * *

Selena paced outside the Town Hall with a cigarette in her hand, waiting for the arraignment to be over. She could not believe Lucas had taken it this far and was hoping to catch a glimpse of Billy to let him know she was still here for him. She did not know what Lucas' game was or why he was suddenly going so hard at Billy and she had tried to convince him out of continuing with this action the only way she knew how, but he had still disregarded her efforts as he had done previously.

'That's because your efforts do nothing for him these days' Gail said as she approached from the building and took the cigarette out of Selena's hand.

Selena watched as Gail took a drag of her cigarette and could not believe her eyes. 'Since when does the lovely Miss Emory smoke?'

Gail exhaled the smoke and passed the cigarette back to Selena. 'I've told you before, stop referring to me in that way...you know nothing about me'

'I know Lucas Buck would be disappointed in his new favorite toy if he knew she was stooping down to this level' she said holding the cigarette up.

'Well in that case' Gail laughed defiantly, then took the cigarette from her hand again and had another long drag.

Selena let out a small laugh and shook her head, this woman was a mystery and it was hard to tell which persona she was going to get. She took another cigarette out of the packet in her pocket and lit it for herself, then regarded her nemesis curiously. 'Did Billy arrive safely in there?' she asked concerned.

Gail nodded and exhaled the smoke. 'You mean after Lucas paraded him around like a show dog? Yes he got to his intended destination Selena'

Selena sighed and began to pace again, it was getting harder to hide her stress with this situation and she wanted her boyfriend back desperately. 'What the hell are we supposed to do here?' she snapped.

Gail watched as the woman before her began to unravel, she did not have much respect for Selena; however, she was a firm believer that women should not show weakness around men, especially in this town and she needed to Selena to pull herself together. 'We wait' she answered calmly.

'Wait?...' Selena asked bitterly, '...You've been waiting for over a week and nothing has changed, so what in god's name are we waiting for?'

Gail took another drag of the cigarette and held the smoke in her mouth for a moment, before releasing it slowly. She knew she should not be acting uncharacteristic of her usual prim and proper self; however, this situation was not just stressing Selena and she herself was finding it hard to hold it together with everything that was happening. 'Look, at this moment in time Lucas is holding all the cards, so we can't do anything but wait...We need to find out what his play is here'

'Aww shucks...and here I was thinkin' you two beautiful ladies had better things to do than concern yourselves with me' Lucas said in a smug tone, leaning against the wall to the Town Hall.

Selena stared at Lucas in anger and pushed past Gail to get at him. 'What the hell is going on Lucas? You've taken this too far!' she snapped.

Lucas disregarded Selena and approached Gail, he had sensed she was not herself while he was in the courtroom and decided to check in on her. 'That's a disgusting habit love, it's not befitting of someone like you' he said gripping her arm gently and turning her around to face him.

'Someone like me?' Gail asked sarcastically, unfazed by his sudden appearance.

'It's not you Gail, you're too good to dirty yourself with that'

Gail took a long drag of the cigarette and slowly blew the smoke in Lucas' face, then smiled. 'Don't presume to know what I truly am Sheriff' she said in an indifferent tone and pulled her arm free. She had not expected to see him so soon after he had led Billy to his arraignment and now that he was here in a more private setting away from the other Reporters, all she felt was disdain for him.

Lucas sensed her contempt for him growing but would not react, she had been attempting to act as if everything was fine around him; however, her facade weakened as Billy's time in jail increased. The action he was taking with Billy-boy did not have anything to do with her initially, but it was wearing her down and that was an added bonus. 'I know you...I know you both...' he said glancing at Selena and winking mockingly at her, '...What you two ladies need is some discipline, with Billy-boy outta the way maybe we should come to an arrangement which benefits all parties involved'

Gail gave him a warning look, then walked back towards the building and discarded of the cigarette in a bin.

'Is that a no Miss Emory?' Lucas called after her, wanting to rile her up.

Gail turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. 'Continue on this path Sheriff and I'll be making arrangements without you going forward' she warned and headed inside to see if she could find out what was happening in the arraignment.

* * *

Merlyn sat outside the hospital playing with her hands, she had convinced Abe to allow her an extended lunch break and had gotten a taxi to drop her off at the hospital. She did not know what she was doing here and she was nervous, this feeling was unnatural to her and she had hoped it would pass; however, she felt butterflies in her stomach and her nervousness did not appear to be subsiding at all.

Matt came out of the front entrance and smiled when he saw M sat at the bottom of the steps, he had heard whispers that a girl had been sat out front for half an hour and somehow knew it was her. He walked down the steps slowly and quietly bent down close to her. 'To what do we owe this unexpected visit' he whispered in her ear and laughed when she jumped up.

Merlyn had not heard Matt's approach and had been startled by his sudden appearance. 'Hey!...' she laughed, '...I'd expect that kind of behavior from Lucas Buck, not a sensible man like yourself'

Matt laughed then gave her an apologetic look. 'I'm sorry, I couldn't resist...is everything OK? Do you need to see a Doctor?'

Merlyn smiled and gave him a forgiving look. 'Me? Nah, I'm as healthy as a horse'

'Good to hear, so why are you here then?' Matt asked curiously.

Merlyn felt her nervousness become more intense and stared down at her hands, she did not know why she was acting in such a way and cursed herself for not being able to control her emotions. 'I just wanted a change of scenery I guess' she lied.

Matt could sense her nervousness and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He had been spending some time with her recently and had come to enjoy her company, the girl was more open than Gail these days and she made him feel at ease. 'Well I'm honored that you ended up here, rather than in some random place with your boyfriend'

'Earl ain't my boyfriend' she corrected.

'Well someone should tell him that' Matt said nodding towards the end of the hospital car park, where Earl sat on his bike watching them.

Merlyn spotted Earl and shook her head, she had told him to give her some space a few days earlier and was surprised to see him here. The truth was that he had been fun for a while; however, she could see through his motives and was almost certain he was working for Lucas. She had been enjoying spending time with her present company, as he appeared more genuine than anyone she had encountered in Trinity.

Matt sensed the girls discomfort as she stared at the boy on the bike and took her by the arm gently. 'I'll tell you what, why don't we go inside and grab some lunch? The food isn't as good as Loris' home cooking, but it could be worse'

Merlyn turned her focus to Matt and smiled. 'Hmmm, how can I turn down such a tempting offer?' she asked sarcastically and allowed him to lead her up the steps to the hospital entrance.

Earl watched bitterly as his girl followed the Doctor blindly, he felt her pulling away from him and failure in this task was not an option. He did not know why she had suddenly stopped spending time with him after they had been having so much fun; however, he would not allow her to blow him off like this and would have to bide his time in the shadows, until he could come up with a solution to the problem.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb sat in the overly bright classroom waiting for Miss Coombs to return from lunch, like the rest of his classmates. He had noticed that she had been taking extended lunch breaks recently and she had become very irritable, he guessed this was due to Doctor Peele's incarceration.

His cousin had also been short tempered over the past few weeks, it appeared only Merlyn was happy these days and he had noticed she had been spending more time with Doctor Matt. He remembered how Doctor Matt always used to cheer him up and part of him wished they were as close as they used to be; however, he found it hard to be around the man now that he was aware of who his real father was.

Caleb was not ashamed of being Lucas' son, it was quite the opposite and although Matt attempted to hide his true feelings on the subject, he could sense the judgement radiating off him. Caleb could not blame Matt for struggling to come to terms with his true parentage, Caleb had been in denial himself; however, he had no desire to spend time with someone who could not accept his true father.

Caleb was taken out of his thoughts by Miss Coombs entering the classroom, looking irritated. He glanced around at his classmates and could see they all sensed her bad mood; therefore, he signaled his friends Boone and Josh to keep their heads down.

Selena slammed her bag on her desk harder than intended and turned her attention towards the class. She had not wanted to return to school today; however, Gail had found her after Lucas' intrusion and insisted she did not outwardly show her emotions, as she knew Lucas would thrive upon the torment. Selena did not require Gail to provide insight on Lucas' love of torture, she had been with him long enough to witness it first hand and knew her nemesis' suggestion was the correct move.

So here she was, staring at a classroom full of oblivious children and was expected to pretend she cared about what she was scheduled to teach them. She ran her hand through her hair and forced a smile, like a good professional would do and tried to disguise her irritation at the situation she found herself in. 'Right...I suppose I should apologize for being late, it's a shame I can't give myself detention' she said sarcastically and smiled when the children laughed.

Caleb smiled at Miss Coombs' attempt at humor but could sense her true feelings. He was becoming more attuned to other people's feelings after spending so much time with Lucas and could sense her worry and irritation. She hit her feelings well; however, he was not oblivious like the rest of the class.

Selena spotted Caleb watching her knowingly, she sensed he could see through her facade and was not impressed that he was displaying abilities which reminded her of his father. Selena could not punish Lucas, but she was in charge of Caleb while he was at school. 'OK class, we're going to move on from our current subject and focus on our reading...Caleb, would you like to come up here and read a passage out of your history homework?'

Caleb narrowed his eyes at his teacher, Lucas had explained to her that he had not completed his homework and she appeared to accept that; however, now she was going back on her word to Lucas. 'I ain't got my homework Miss Coombs, we told you this mornin' before class...'

'Oh that's correct...' Selena interrupted impatiently, '...I forgot you had been busying yourself with the Sheriff. Why don't you come up here anyway, you may not have had time to write anything down but surely you read the assignment and can tell the whole class what you learned?'

Caleb could feel all eyes on him and he did not like it. He had not even opened his homework book to check the assignment, as Lucas ensured him that he could smooth things over with his teacher. How was he supposed to stand up in front of the whole class and talk about something he had not even looked at?

Selena smiled cattily, she could see Caleb's face slowly begin to turn red with embarrassment and her smile grew wider. She should not enjoy belittling a small child; however, no part of the Buck line was innocent and she would not feel bad at all. 'We're waiting Caleb' she said sweetly, amused with herself.

'Well I guess you'll be waiting a little longer, seen as I have to get my cousin to an appointment' Gail said sternly, standing beside the open classroom door with her arms crossed over her chest. She had been driving past the school on her way to the hospital and sensed her cousins discomfort.

Caleb looked at Gail and let out a relieved sigh, then picked up his school bag and rushed towards her. He could not wait to get away from all the prying eyes in the classroom and was happy she had come to his rescue.

Selena glanced at Gail angrily and shook her head. 'All these unexpected engagements are going to affect his progress Miss Emory' she said with a hint of venom in her voice.

Gail gave an irritated smile and bit her lip to stop from saying something she would regret in front of a class full of children. 'The boy's smart enough Miss Coombs, I'm sure he'll catch up in no time' she said gently taking Caleb's hand, then led him out of the classroom.

'What was that about?' Caleb asked as they walked down the empty corridor to the exit.

'That was nothing to do with you, I'm sure you already guessed...Had you have completed your homework rather than allowing Lucas to make excuses for you, I wouldn't have to come out of my way to assist in this' she sighed.

Caleb looked down at his hands, 'Gail I'm sor...'

'Oh give it up...' she interrupted, '...I'm sick of hearing your empty apologies Caleb and I will not tolerate your lack of respect towards your schooling anymore...This is the last time I let you off for slacking, you understand?'

Caleb looked around hoping Lucas would be close by, as he was always here to bail him out when it came to his lack of interest in school; however, he was nowhere to be found.

Gail laughed, shook her head and pushed him gently towards her car. 'Lucas can't save you forever Caleb, you need to be your own man...I don't have time to be distracted by these menial things when a friend of mine is in serious trouble'

Caleb could sense her frustration and worry for Doctor Peele, he had not asked for Miss Coombs to turn on him or for Gail to step in; therefore, he was confused as to why he appeared to be getting the blame. 'I don't know what you want me to do Gail...I was just sat in there mindin' my own business when Miss Coombs started...'

'Miss Coombs is worried about her boyfriend, she has good reason to lash out...Had you not aligned yourself so closely to his captor then this may not have come down on you' she sighed in exasperation and ran her fingers through her hair. It was obvious Selena was trying to punish Caleb as she could not get to Lucas.

'You've aligned yourself with him and I don't see her doin' nothin' to you' he snapped defiantly.

Gail regarded her cousin suspiciously for a moment, then laughed. She did not appreciate his tone; however, Caleb was not to blame for any part of what was going on and she knew this should not be getting taken out on him. 'Selena knows better than to come at me...but I see your point'

Caleb smiled when he sensed his cousin soften, he knew the women were on edge and he had in fact tried to convince Lucas to let Doctor Peele go when he was spending time with him recently; however, Lucas had explained that he would not back down on such a serious matter. 'Is there anythin' I can do?' Caleb asked, wanting to help but not knowing how.

Gail smiled and opened the front passenger side door of the car. 'You can keep Uncle Abe and your sister out of trouble while I complete a few errands'

Caleb smiled and entered the car obediently, he liked spending time with Abe and looked forward to seeing the old man.

* * *

Lucas was sat across from Ben in the Sheriff's Stations main reception, completing a crossword puzzle from his morning paper. Ben had been uncharacteristically quiet since he returned from the arraignment with Billy and Lucas assumed he was sore over him continuing with his current line of action. He was choosing not to be distracted by the current mood of his Deputy, he had enough of that with the women in his life; therefore, he just sat back in his chair and continued to complete his puzzle.

Getting up from his seated position Ben let out a loud sigh and threw his paper down on the counter, then headed towards the cells. He could not sit back any longer and wanted to go check on his friend.

'Whoa there partner...I said there was to be no visitors back there' Lucas said, not taking his eyes off the puzzle.

Ben turned towards Lucas and regarded his suspiciously. 'I work here Lucas and I'm going to see if our prisoner needs anythin', it's part of my duty as a law enforcement officer' he said defiantly and turned back towards his intended destination.

Suddenly the office door slammed shut, nearly hitting Ben in the face and he jumped back.

'I won't repeat myself Deputy' Lucas sighed and continued trying to complete his puzzle.

Ben stared angrily at Lucas, he was getting sick of this game and for all he knew Billy could be dead in his cell like Gage Temple had been. He had attempted to keep out of this matter, respecting Billy's wishes; however, this had gone on for too long and he was really starting to get concerned for his friend.

'Aren't we all' Gail said as she entered the Sheriff's Station and the bell above the door rang.

Lucas glanced up from his puzzle to take in her beauty, then returned to the clue and disregarded her presence.

Ben shook his head at Lucas' blatant disrespect towards Gail and approached his friend. 'It's gettin' late, how come your not home with Caleb?' he asked, choosing not to pay attention to Lucas' presence in the room.

Gail smiled at Ben's attempt to distract her from Lucas' disrespectful manner, he was a welcome breath of fresh air after the dead ends she had been up against all day. 'I've been busy doing a bit of research, someone has to try and prevent the injustice that's going on around here'

Ben laughed, he could sense Gail's frustration and knew it was much like his own. 'Well, I hope your research turns up something good as I for one would not stand in your way if you found something concrete' Ben said defiantly.

Lucas smiled to himself, he was not fazed by this display and knew he had to keep his cool to ensure this current action he was taking continued to progress smoothly. He could sense the frustration and anger in both Ben and Gail; however, it was not his problem that they had chosen to align themselves with Billy-boy, or that the man had turned out to be so easily manipulated.

Gail was annoyed that Lucas was still not reacting to their conversation and decided to step it up. 'Once I find some concrete evidence I'll come straight to you Deputy, in the meantime I think I'm going to dump the children off with Matt for the night and visit Selena...The poor girl is at her wits end and I'm sure she could use a distraction'

Ben stared at Gail suspiciously, then smiled when she winked at him. 'Well that sounds nice, are you gonna head to Jimmy's bar?'

Gail smiled and shook her head. 'Nah, I'm in the mood for a more intimate setting seen as my prior night time engagements are cancelled for the foreseeable future...I'm thinking a quiet picnic by the river just the two of us and seeing where the night leads'

Lucas folded the paper and placed it on the counter as he got up, Gail had been displaying the good girlfriend facade that she believed fooled him recently and this was the first he heard of her stopping their time together. He had actually been looking forward to surprising her later with a dinner date, as they had not made it out of his house as of late but this threw a spanner in the works. 'That sounds cozy Darlin', I wasn't aware you could stand our little school teacher long enough for an outing like that'

Gail regarded Lucas irritably, then smiled defiantly. 'You'd be surprised what a crisis can push a woman to tolerate Sheriff...I'm sure I can find a way to comfort our little school teacher'

Lucas approached the pair and signaled for Ben to leave them alone, Ben attempted to stand his ground; however, when he caught sight of the warning look on Lucas' face he made his excuses to exit the building. Lucas had expected Gail to find a reason to follow Ben but she remained standing defiantly in front of him, he could sense that she was still furious with him and cupped her chin gently in his hand when Ben had finally left. 'There's no need to act like this Gail, I'm only doin' my job here'

Gail let out a small laugh and pulled free of his grasp. 'Had you left Billy alone and not locked him up previously in your jealous rage then I'd have to respect your professional duties, but you and I both know that this is not just down to your job Lucas...You've made it clear that you won't stand down and that's fine, but neither will I'

'So you're gonna cut me off as usual Miss Emory...How predictable of you' Lucas goaded.

Gail smiled sweetly and shook her head. 'This isn't me cutting you off sweetheart...' she said with a hint of venom in her voice, '...this is you pushing me too far and me beginning to realize that I really don't want to waste my time with you anymore. You just keep doing what you're doing, it's exactly what I need to finally come to my senses'

Lucas inhaled deeply and pushed down his rage, there was something about the way she was being that made him realize there was truth in her words. 'Now, now love...you don't wanna make a rash decision and shut me out like this. I'd hate to think what poor soul would take the grunt of my anger at such a thing...Besides, you go on at me about your professional integrity all the time, so you don't get to disregard mine just because the situation doesn't suit you'

Gail laughed at the audacity of the man and tried to push down her darkness, with the stress of this situation it was taking all of her strength not to let it take over and allow her to sit back to take in some peace. 'Like I said before Lucas, this has got nothing to do with your job. This is you inserting your dominance as usual and I will ensure the town is aware of it when I write my article' she said angrily and turned to leave.

Lucas grabbed her by the arm and pushed her roughly against the wall. 'You need to open your ears Gail and listen to what I'm telling you, before you publish something that makes you look like an idiot'

Gail could feel the familiar sensation stir between her legs, which was a sign that her body was about to betray her and willed herself to stay in control. He appeared genuinely annoyed at her accusations and she stared at him suspiciously, trying to ignore how close his lips were to hers. 'What are you talking about Lucas, it's obvious what your play is here and Billy did nothing wrong!' she snapped.

Lucas smiled smugly, then inhaled her scent. He could sense she wanted him and if he played his cards right he may be able to pierce through the barrier she had put up. 'If Billy-boy did nothin' wrong, then why did he plead guilty love?' he asked and his smile grew wider at the shocked look on her face.

Gail shook her head in disbelief, 'You're lying'

Lucas laughed, then reached down and stroked the inside of her thigh tenderly. 'I wouldn't lie to you Gail, not now with all that we have'

Gail pushed him away from her, ignoring the yearning she felt for him deep down. She had been hounding the staff at Juniper in an attempt to help her incarcerated friend and could not believe he had entered a plea of guilty. She could see by the look on Lucas' face that he was telling the truth and her resolve to dismiss him began to falter; therefore, she made the safest choice and stormed out of the Sheriff's Station.

Lucas watched as Gail left him alone and shook his head, he had no doubt that the news of Billy's plea would soften her to his advances once again and looked forward to her coming to him.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Selena sat on her kitchen table with a half empty bottle of wine, she could feel herself slipping into a state of dejection and was doing the only thing she knew would make her feel better, which was get mindlessly drunk. She craved human contact tonight and her usual port of call would be to pick up a random guy; however, she chose to remain home instead and try to remain strong for Billy.

'Good choice' Gail said, entering the kitchen through the back door.

Selena laughed, then handed her glass to her nemesis. 'Here I was craving some human contact and you show up'

'Either of us could do worse' Gail teased sarcastically and downed the glass of wine that was handed to her.

Selena jumped off the table to locate another glass, then rejoined Gail who was now sat in her original place. She had expected to remain alone; however, this visit was a pleasant surprise, although she would never admit it out loud.

'I once told you that I wouldn't let you be alone, do you remember that?' Gail asked, refilling both of there glasses with the remainder of the wine.

Selena smiled cattily, 'You mean after you goaded me in a drunken state to jump off a railing into the Trinity River? Yes, I think I do remember that'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'It could've been worse and it taught you to keep off what's mine' she said, not denying the accusation.

Selena nodded in agreement, she could not judge Gail's actions when she had sent her to a homicidal Caleb to dispose of her unborn child. She supposed they were both caught up with an unnatural obsession with Lucas Buck and that kind of emotion can lead a girl to behave in an inappropriate way. 'Although I like reminiscing on our good times Gail, I'd like to know what this unexpected visit is about?' she asked curiously.

Gail sighed and took a large sip of her drink, she had been driving around for an hour after dropping the children at the boarding house trying to clear her head over what Lucas had told her; however, she had subconsciously ended up close to Selena's place. The woman was worried about her partner and no one was keeping her informed about anything, if that was Gail she would be going stir crazy. 'Look, there's no easy way to say this...Billy has pleaded guilty to the charges'

Selena stared at her nemesis in shock, she felt as though the woman had struck out and slapped her across the face. 'He can't have, Lucas must have...'

'Lucas hasn't done anything...' Gail interrupted, '...If he had we could've had something to work with, but it appears this was Billy's choice'

Selena jumped off the table and began pacing the kitchen, she could feel anger rising within her and she felt like she wanted to scream. How could he be so stupid? Lucas had been gunning for him since he arrived in Trinity and he had a rock solid case against him now that he had confessed his apparent guilt.

Gail watched Selena pace and let out a long sigh. Her senses were strongly attuned to other peoples these days and the unease she felt radiating off Selena was making her uncomfortable.

'This is my fault...if I hadn't stopped him from leaving this town when he had the chance, none of this would have happened. I paraded him in front of Lucas like a toy and now he's finally got him' Selena said and could feel herself becoming upset.

Gail jumped down from the table and approached Selena, she took hold of her arm gently to stop her pacing and pulled her close so their bodies were almost touching. 'Billy made his own decision to stay and you can't blame yourself for this, no-one could have seen this plea coming' she reassured her, sensing her upset.

Selena allowed herself to be comforted and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. 'So what are we to do now?' she asked, hoping for any ray of hope from the woman she had so often despised.

Gail did not feel comfortable being this close to Selena; however, they both shared worry for Billy and he would want her to ensure Selena was alright. She was furious at this whole situation, even more so now that she could not fully blame Lucas for how this was playing out and she felt the darkness inside her wanting to break free to vent her frustration. 'Drink I guess, dull the pain for a while and I'll review the options tomorrow when I can think clearly'

'This is not down to you to resolve Gail' Selena said, subconsciously stroking Gail's arm then taking her hand. She was not used to this treatment and was grateful for her company at this present moment.

Gail could sense Selena looking for a connection and took a step back to create some distance, she did not want to be her friend and she certainly did not want to get close to her boyfriends ex girlfriend. When she spotted the wounded look on Selena's face, she stepped closer to her and held up the glass of wine to her lips. 'Have you got anyone you can call on tonight?'

Selena laughed and shook her head. 'Not unless I go trolling Jimmy's bar and I doubt you'd approve of that' she said sarcastically, then took a large sip of her drink.

Gail shook her head and glanced at the time, it was 9:00pm and she was actually planning on visiting Lucas tonight after his revelation; however, she supposed it would do not harm staying here with Selena and allowing him to stew for a little longer. 'You're not going out Selena, crack open another bottle and we'll settle in for the night'

Selena smiled mischievously and went to her fridge to get another bottle of wine. She knew Lucas would not be impressed that the lovely Miss Emory was here with her rather than being with him and she was happy that he would also be without a partner tonight.

* * *

Lucas had been sat on his porch with a bottle of red wine and two glasses since 8:00pm, waiting for his loves arrival. He had been convinced that a visit from her was inevitable tonight and became agitated when she did not show up.

Lucas got in his car and began to drive on instinct, when he saw the her car parked outside Selena's place and cursed under his breath in irritation. He got out of his car and quietly approached the property, he had told Gail previously that she needed to stop taking on other peoples problems and could not believe she had come to Selena.

Lucas headed to the bedroom window when he noticed the light was on. He stared in shock when he caught sight of Gail laying on the bed wearing only a vest and her panties, seemingly allowing Selena to kiss her. He took a long intake of breath and could feel his manhood harden instantly, he had made suggestions previously that these two should get together with him; however, he had never actually believed the women would be caught dead with each other.

Gail lay on the bed in a very drunken state, they had moved their party to the bedroom and she had borrowed a vest from Selena to allow her to discard her uncomfortable office wear after the long day she had endured. When she had gotten comfortable and placed her glass of wine down on the beside table, Selena unexpectedly placed her lips on hers and began to kiss her. Gail had sensed the woman's loneliness all night and allowed the kiss to continue for a moment, then sensed that they were being watched and pulled free of the embrace.

Selena regarded Gail confused, this was an innocent enough act and was only a little drunken fun. She had been enjoying the intimacy and was taken aback when Gail abruptly pushed her off her. 'Did I overstep?' she asked, not wanting her unlikely companion to leave her alone.

Gail sighed and shook her head, she knew instantly who was watching them and felt her usual urges begin to rise within her. She had no desire to explore a sexual relationship with this woman; however, she sensed his arousal through the window and her darkness was beginning to stir within her. 'You wanna play a game?' she whispered suggestively, ensuring she could not be heard from outside.

Selena looked at Gail suspiciously, something about her had changed and last time she thought she was getting close to her she ended up in the River. 'I don't know whether I appreciate your type of games Gail'

Gail laughed and feigned a hurt look. 'Oh come on, I know you think about what we get up to...You're curious as I appear so different from him and you can't fathom why he would choose to follow me around like a love sick puppy'

'It is a mystery, I won't lie' Selena shrugged.

'Alright, so let's play and see who caves first...You might just get some clarity and I promise it won't go bad for you' Gail said in a low voice and smiled when Selena nodded in acceptance.

Gail allowed her darkness to come to the surface and turned around so she was facing the bedroom window, then removed her vest to reveal the scars on her back from where Lucas had drew blood her throughout their sexual encounters. She stood tall in just her blue lacy bra and panties, then allowed Selena to stroke the scars on her back.

'Jesus, I think he only bit down on me hard enough to leave a mark once' Selena confessed while running her fingers over the four marks gently.

Gail laughed as the strokes on her back tickled. 'I've told you before, you have no idea who I really am and what I'm capable of...' she said pulling down her panties slightly to reveal her toned behind, '...There's more'

Selena let her hand trail down to Gail's firm cheeks and spotted the nail imprints where the grip on her had clearly been so tight that the nails pierced her skin. 'And you accept him hurting you this way?' she asked curiously.

Gail smiled, then turned around and pushed her onto the bed. She straddled Selena for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed her lips softly.

'Hurtin' is such a judgmental term...Miss Emory here likes it rough and I don't recall her ever complainin'' Lucas said appearing in the bedroom. He had watched as Gail allowed his ex to stroke her back and behind tenderly, then could not resist his urges any longer.

'The more force the better' Gail shrugged, giving Selena a wink and got off the bed to approach her lover.

Lucas inhaled deeply at the mischief in her eyes and gave her a look of warning. 'You've really been a bad girl this time Darlin''

Gail smiled then licked her lips seductively as she looked him up and down, her desire for him was unwavering and she needed him inside of her. 'I can't be held responsible for having to find another release, when my current partner is being so unreasonable' she said as she pushed her darkness back down.

Lucas glanced at Selena who was watching them intently, he could sense her arousal; however, he was more concerned with Gail and the desire that was radiating off her. 'We've been over this Darlin', it's my job to...' he started, then stopped when Gail raised her finger to his lips.

'This broken record is getting boring' she teased, then bit her bottom lip when he took her finger into his mouth and began sucking it.

Lucas nipped at the tip of her finger, then led her to the bed and threw her down next to Selena. He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his toned chest, then removed his pants and climbed on the bed between them. 'If you're gettin' bored love, I can think of a thing or two we could do to spice up the relationship'

Although Gail was happy to try anything once in their sexual encounters, something within her was possessive of him and could not entertain him being with anyone else. She had chosen to tease him through the window for a reason and had promised Selena this would not come back on her; therefore, she could not punish the woman next to her for drooling at the thought of having her lover again. 'I decide what we do love...' she said propping herself up on her elbows and smiling at his acknowledgment of her using his pet term. '...but first we talk business'

Lucas was focused only on Gail and felt himself become frustrated at the thought of her bringing up business. He was pent up and wanted her now so he moved between her legs, pushed her down and restrained her hands above her head effortlessly. 'This is no time to talk business Darlin', with the way you're goin' I'm gonna punish you right here with our present company to bear witness'

Gail allowed him to restrain her and kept her full focus on him, she would not allow herself to be distracted by Selena as she felt a way in with him and would take advantage of him being off guard due to their present company. 'I wanna see Billy...say yes and I'll let you do whatever you want to me right here' she said softly and nipped at his lips playfully.

Lucas regarded her irritably, he had not expected her to be here like this and he could not push down his desire for her. He considered her request and shrugged, 'I decide what we do? It's a deal Darlin'' he said and pushed her legs further apart with his knees.

Gail had not expected him to give in so easily and felt worry flow through her. 'You decide what you do with me, no-one else Lucas' she corrected the terms.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, he would not be caught in a trap seeming like he wanted to have relations with another woman. Besides, just the thought of Selena being present throughout all of this excited him. 'You think I want anyone else? No, I'm gonna take my time with you and only you...' he said staring deeply into her eyes, '...I'll even go one better and allow Miss Coombs to see her love one more time before the sentencing goes down'

Gail glanced at Selena and could see the woman was too engrossed in their current position to care about Billy at this present time, so she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Lucas. 'Well it's settled then, what are you waiting for Master Buck?' she whispered seductively, then let out a soft moan when Lucas ripped off her panties and began playing between her legs with his free hand.

Lucas smiled triumphantly as he watched her begin to unravel at his touch, it had been a while since his love had given herself to him and their current surroundings made this act all the more arousing. He pushed two fingers inside of her and moved them in the desired fashion until she could not control herself any longer and called out his name.

Gail pulled her hands free, then ran them through his caramel blonde hair and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss. She momentarily forgot about Selena's presence and allowed him to enter her unchallenged, then let out a loud moan when he began to push in and out of her slowly.

Lucas ran his hands over her bra and squeezed her breasts tight, then and continued to thrust in and out of her slowly. It was taking all of his effort to force himself to keep up the slow movements; however, he wanted to prove a point and allowing Selena to see them making love would haunt her once the realization set in, as she could never have that with him.

Gail hated this tenderness, she could feel a warmness in the pit of her stomach and tried to push down her longing for him, she had made the deal and she could not try to make him quicken his movements. She felt the barrier she had worked so hard to create around her heart begin to melt and she cursed herself for giving him free reign here.

Lucas began to suck and nip at Gail's neck. The intense pleasure that was surging through him with every thrust was exquisite, he was enjoying this act too much and felt himself begin to soften. Before he allowed weakness to show, he instinctively reached for Selena's hand and moved it between her legs. He smiled at her sharp intake of breath, then turned his attention back to his love.

Gail had witnessed Lucas' attention waiver, then became aware of their present company again. She was horrified that she had allowed Selena to watch them, then her darkness broke through allowing her to feel excitement and she clawed at Lucas' back in acceptance of the act.

Lucas sensed her end was near and knew she wanted him to speed up, so he gave in to her unspoken request and began to thrust in and out of her roughly. He called her name as he felt her nails pierce his skin and draw blood, the build up to their finish was so intense that he had to nuzzle his head into her neck and bite down hard when his climax came. He tasted her blood in his mouth and licked her wound instinctively, this would be another scar he was proud as they indicated she was his.

Gail panted with him heavy on her chest, then inhaled deeply when he lifted up slightly to allow some air into her lungs. When his lips came down on hers she kissed him passionately and closed her ears to the sound of Selena's release.

Lucas smiled down at her devilishly, then searched the room for something to clean her up with and dragged her off the bed in the direction of the kitchen.

'Wait...' Gail protested, '...I said I wouldn't leave her alone'

Selena sat up on the bed, not believing that she had allowed them to perform the act on her bed while she watched. 'I'll be fine, just go' she said in a haze.

Gail picked up her clothes and began to dress, as Lucas began to pull her out of the bedroom she turned back towards Selena. 'Don't forget, you've got a free pass to visit Billy tomorrow'

Lucas laughed and turned towards both women. 'I don't believe anyone is thinkin' about Billy-boy at this present time Darlin', you just ponder over what you've witnessed Miss Coombs while I take my love to have some proper fun' he teased, then headed out of the house with Gail.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Merlyn sat behind the counter of Abe's antique store reading a book on witchcraft. She had enjoyed spending the night in the boarding house with Matt even though Caleb kept trying to steal his attention from her and although it was Saturday, she had told Abe she would help him out at the store. So here she was trying to read something that would take her mind of the lovely Matt Crower, she was fascinated by the contents of the book and was happy that the subject matter was distracting her from her crush.

Caleb turned towards Merlyn who was smiling to herself, he had offered to come help out at the store and was brushing the floor to ensure it was tidy; however, he had just realized he was doing his sisters job willingly and felt like he had been played. 'Hey! Why am I brushin' up while you're happy readin'?' he asked.

Merlyn looked up from the book and smiled cunningly. 'Well you said you wanted to help out, I didn't exactly say I was busy here'

Caleb put the brush to one side and pulled his tongue at her in mock defiance.

Merlyn laughed and pulled her tongue back at him, then they both turned towards the sound of the bell above the door. Merlyn's smile faded when she saw Earl enter, then she closed the book she was reading and placed it under the counter. 'What do you want?' she asked unimpressed by the intrusion.

Caleb watched Earl walk around the store slowly and noted his sisters change in demeanor. He had not seen her with Earl much recently and he could sense her irritation, which indicated she had become bored with their present company or that he had done something to hurt her. He regarded Earl suspiciously and felt something dark stir within him at the thought of his sister being hurt.

Merlyn sensed a dark change in her brother and focused all her attention on him, he looked as though he was ready to pounce and she was very aware that he had never been a fan of Earl. 'Just go' she aimed at Earl, but did not take her eyes off her brother.

Earl turned towards his girl and shook his head, she could not even be bothered looking at him when she barked the order at him. He approached the desk while her attention was elsewhere and grabbed her arm roughly. 'You don't get to just disregard me like this, you need to come with me so we can talk'

Merlyn was taken by shock at the unexpected hand on her arm and instinctively tried to pull her arm free; however, his grip was too tight. 'What are you doin'? Get off Earl!' she snapped and glanced at Caleb, sensing the darkness within him stronger now.

Caleb took a few steps closer to the pair and focused all of his attention on Earl. It appeared to be only him and Earl in the room now and he concentrated hard on what he wanted to see, like Lucas had previously shown him when a man was trying to take Gail away from him. Caleb envisioned Earl's hand burning up, like it had been dipped in scolding hot water that had been boiling in a pan for an hour. When the older boy began to scream and released his sisters arm, Caleb smiled and continued to walk closer to him.

Merlyn's eyes opened wide in horror, she knew Caleb had done something and cursed herself for allowing him to use her as a reason to tap into his Buck side. She watched as Earl jumped back holding his hand then smacked his back on a bookcase and fell on the floor rolling around in agony.

Caleb was closer now and had envisioned molten lava being poured all over the older boys body, how dare he think he could come in here and do something to his sister. Caleb smiled maliciously as the boys screams became louder and watched curiously as he rolled about the floor undignified. He could hear his sister in the distance trying to get his attention; however, he felt as though he was under water watching this all in a haze and he enjoyed the feeling of power that was flowing through his veins.

'What the hell is all this racket about?' Abe snapped as he came down the corridor and entered the main part of his store. He had been napping when he heard screams and when they did not stop he decided that he should investigate, even though he knew they were not coming from the children watching his store.

Caleb felt as though he had been pulled back to the surface at the sound of Abe's voice and his hold on Earl was released instantly. The older boy lay on the floor for a moment staring at his hands in disbelief, then jumped up and ran out of the store.

Merlyn stared at Caleb cautiously and realized he had returned back to his usual state, then turned towards Abe and took his arm reassuringly. 'Can you believe that boy thought re-enacting a scene from a movie would make me reconsider spendin' time with him?' she lied and hoped Abe would not see through her act.

Abe regarded both of the children suspiciously, then shook his head. He knew they were hiding something; however, he was tired and wanted to return to his nap. 'I told you that boy was a waste of space...keep it down now' he said and glanced at Caleb who remained quiet.

Caleb forced an innocent smile and nodded in acceptance of Abe's request, which indicated that the man could return to his back room. When Abe was out of earshot he picked up the brush and continued sweeping the floor, as though nothing had happened.

Merlyn watched Caleb closely not believing what she had just witnessed, she had not needed his help and she was now worried over the power he had just displayed so effortlessly. She would have to keep a close eye on her brother until she fully understood what was going on with him.

* * *

Gail rolled over onto her stomach in the large kingsize bed and held her head in pain. She had been awoken abruptly by a strange sensation of burning and now that she was awake she became aware of the throbbing pain in her head.

'That's what happens when you decide to drink the cheap stuff unsupervised Darlin'' Lucas scolded her sarcastically and stroked her bare back with his free hand.

'What time is it?' she asked and opened her eyes slightly to glance at Lucas, who was sat up in the bed beside her reading the Trinity Guardian.

Lucas sighed and did not take his eyes off the article he was reading. 'It's after 11:00am love, it appears we overslept'

Gail pushed herself up quickly, then winced at the sharp bolt of pain that surged through her head. Lucas shook his head then put the paper on his bedside table and pulled her back down to a laying position. Gail allowed herself to be controlled and closed her eyes as the light in the room caused the pain to become more intense.

'What am I gonna do with you?' Lucas asked as he caressed her forehead tenderly and tried to locate the source of her pain with his minds eye. He felt something block his attempts and when he tried to open her mind to him all he could sense was a thick fog.

'Get out of my head Lucas' Gail ordered and took a deep breath to calm herself, her mind was flooded with visions of what had happened the previous night and she was disgusted with herself for what she had allowed.

'I'm just tryin' to help you Gail, all you need to do is let go so I can take away all of your pain and suffering' he whispered and stroked her cheek gently.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'Then what? You own my soul and we become one big happy family?' she asked in disbelief.

Lucas shrugged, 'Would that be so bad? You're clearly in the need of some guidance when it comes to these new found abilities that you're trying so hard to hide from me...so what if you give yourself to me and enable me to help you'

Gail sat up slower this time and opened her eyes carefully, to ensure the brightness of the day did not cause another reaction. 'Whatever do you mean sweetheart?...' she asked sarcastically, '...I'm just a small town Reporter who has adopted a child in need, what abilities could I possibly have?'

Lucas grinned devilishly, then sat up and pushed his hand under the bed sheet to stroke her sweet spot. 'The type that makes me wanna throw you down and pound into you unceremoniously until you admit to what you know'

Gail stared deep into his eyes and smiled defiantly. 'As much fun as that sounds, I imagine you would spill first considering I have no idea what you're talking about Master Buck'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down his urges; however, he could feel how moist her sweet spot was for his hard manhood and he did not know how long he could keep this up.

Gail sensed his arousal and bit her lip to stifle a low moan, she had trying her best to focus on the pain in her head rather than her unwavering desire for the man before her. 'I need to check on my dependents' she panted, as he pushed two fingers inside of her.

'Your dependents are happy with Abe love, it's time your focus remained only on us' he whispered and pushed her down gently with his free hand, while he continued to play with her.

Gail inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, Billy's official admission of guilt had stripped away the grudge she was holding against Lucas and she could find no solid reason to stand against him at this moment in time; therefore, she lay back and allowed him to pleasure her. He was her Adonis and all he was asking from her was acceptance, it was becoming tiresome even to herself that she kept attempting to repel him.

Lucas sensed her soften and knew he had found a way back in with her, Billy had turned out to be key to making this whole situation work for him and he would make a mental note to thank the man later for helping to rekindle his loves affection. He was aware that Gail was still in pain and stroked her forehead once more, when he opened his minds eye to locate the source this time he was met with no resistance.

Gail let out a loud moan as the pain in her head subsided and all she could feel was the small bursts of pleasure from his fingers. She pulled out Lucas' fingers gently, then rolled him over to straddle him. She smiled at his look of shock and reached down for his hard manhood, then placed it inside of her and began to ride him slowly. 'This is what you wanted last night wasn't it?' she asked teasingly.

Lucas let out a loud moan and gripped her hips tight, he had not expected her to allow him to enter her so soon after their questionable behavior at Selena's place and this was a surprise. He pushed his hips up higher to force his manhood deeper inside her, then lay back and watched in awe as she continued to ride him slowly.

Gail ran her fingers down his bare chest and gripped his stomach for support, it was taking all of her concentration to continue the gentle movements; however, she wanted to pay him back for the previous night and would not allow this act to be rushed, no matter how much she sensed that they were both ready to burst.

Lucas moved his hands from her hips and placed them over her hands, which were gripping the sides of his stomach. He continued to watch her and let out moans of pleasure then smiled when she dug her nails into his skin, which indicated this pace was becoming too much for her to maintain. He pulled her hands free of his stomach, then turned his palms up to allow her fingers to become entangled with his. He called out her name as she moved up and down with his manhood inside her and felt his intense orgasm rising within him.

Gail resisted the urge to speed up her movements when her orgasm began to form. She held on to his hands tight and called out his name as they came together with a prolonged burst of pleasure, then collapsed onto his chest panting and allowed him to hold her close.

'And you scold me when I attempt to make our experiences tender' he panted, then stroked her head and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Gail remained still for a few minutes with him inside of her, then pushed him out of her and got off the bed to get dressed. 'I need you to leave me alone today, I have some things I need to do'

Lucas rolled over and watched her naked body appreciatively as she searched for her clothes to enable her to get dressed. 'A request like that makes me suspicious of what your intended activities are Darlin''

Gail smiled mischievously, being with him this way had made her realize that it would take a lot for him to turn on her and she was past hiding her intentions. 'You should be suspicious Sheriff; however, I expect you to honor my wishes all the same, if you truly want me to let go'

Lucas inhaled deeply in exasperation and watched as she stood naked in front of him waiting for his answer. 'Alright, I'll give space this once considerin' your stunt last night and this mornin'...but don't take me for a fool Gail'

'Oh I'd expect that would be a grave mistake Sheriff' she said feigning innocence and began to dress.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Selena stood silently in front of the small cell, waiting for Billy to acknowledge her. She had cashed in on Lucas' offer and decided to visit her boyfriend; however, he appeared to be ignoring her presence. The longer he ignored her the more angry she got, his behavior was childish and she could not understand why he was treating her in such a way.

'You know what? I have better things to do than waste my time here...You can rot in here for all I care, that appears to be what you want anyway!' she snapped and started walking towards the exit.

Billy let out a long sigh and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation, he did not want visitors as he did not want the people he cared about getting upset; however, he could sense her worry behind her tough exterior. 'Wait' he called and stood up to meet her when she started to approach his cell.

Selena smiled when she heard his voice and could not resist going to him. 'I thought you were never going to acknowledge me honey' she said in a relieved tone and took his hand through the bars.

'You really shouldn't have come Selena, you need to keep your distance so there's no fallout on you for what I did' he sighed.

Selena shook her head in disbelief at his words and stroked his cheek through the bars. 'You should never have pleaded guilty Billy, you're not and you need to stop blaming yourself for this freak accident'

Billy leaned his forehead on the bars and smiled when Selena did the same, he could not deny how much he cared for her even with her craziness. 'Why did Lucas allow you in here?' he asked, suddenly becoming suspicious of her visit.

Selena tensed for a moment, then forced herself to relax and smiled reassuringly. 'Gail managed to swing something with him, you know how he is with her'

Billy shook his head disapprovingly, then stared down at Selena's hands which were attempting to stroke his chest. 'You all need to stay out of this, why does no-one listen to me?' he said in exasperation.

Selena laughed, then took his hands hand placed them around her hips. She had craved his touch after what she witnessed the previous night and she would not allow some bars to spoil her fun. 'Let's not dwell on the negatives honey, we're all alone in here and I'm sure there's something I can do to cheer you up' she smiled suggestively, then let out a low moan when he trailed one hand down to the bottom of her short dress and began to play between her legs.

* * *

Caleb sat on Abe's porch reading a book on Nazi Germany, which Abe gave him when he complained about being bored. He could not believe there could be so much evil in this world when he was so used to a small towns problems; however, the subject fascinated him and he could not stop reading. Abe had told him that Gail had written an article comparing the past and present German society when she was younger and indicated he would impress her if he displayed some knowledge on the subject.

Merlyn had been watching Caleb carefully since the incident in the store, he appeared to be his usual self; however, the change had come on him quickly and she was concerned about her brother.

'Will you stop gawkin' at that boy and finish plantin' them seeds...If your mind was on the task at hand you would've been done by now' Abe snapped standing over her, checking on her progress.

Merlyn rolled her eyes and continued to plant the seeds Abe had given her, she had hoped Gail would have shown her face by now as this was more her thing; however, her cousin was nowhere to be found. 'Quit your hollerin', I'm doin' the best I can'

'Yeah quit scolding that young girl old man, it's Rosie that should be here helpin' out and you know it' Lucas said and glanced at his boy who had not even raised his head from the book he was reading.

Abe sighed and turned towards his old friend knowingly. 'I bet her disappearin' act is somethin' to do with you, what have you done with her boy?' he asked judgmentally.

Merlyn shot Lucas an irritated look then continued with her chore. She did not want anything to do with Lucas and the quicker she finished her task, the quicker she could plan what she wanted to do with her day.

Lucas tried to hide his annoyance at being ignored by the children with a smile and turned his full attention towards Abe. 'I haven't done anythin' old man, that Rosie of yours just can't help but interfere in matters that shouldn't concern her. She's probably out attemptin' to uncover some deep dark secret of mine...how come you've been left with the rabble anyway? I didn't think babysittin' was your thing'

Abe laughed and shook his head, his Rosie had called him an hour ago to ask if he minded keeping an eye on her dependents and he could not turn her down when they were already there. She had indicated to him where she was heading and he had tried to talk her out of it; however, he would not inform his old friend of her whereabouts and Lucas knew better than to try to retrieve information from him using stranger methods. 'My Rosie is a mystery to us all and I couldn't care less what she was up to, providin' she comes over at the agreed time'

'So you have spoken to her?' Lucas asked narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

'Why of course I have you big oaf' he said and playfully smacked Lucas with his cane, then headed back up the porch to the young boy.

Lucas watched Abe sit next to Caleb and approached the pair. 'You wanna come for a ride with me son? I haven't seen you in a little while'

Caleb allowed Lucas a quick glance before continuing to read the paragraph in his book and just shook his head.

'It looks like your power of persuasion is diminishin' Sheriff...' Merlyn goaded and walked up the porch steps to join her group, '...Can we go inside Uncle Abe? I'm gettin' sick of the view out here'

Abe gave Lucas an amused smile, he could see his friends anger at the disrespectful comment and it was good seeing his old friend feeling challenged for a change. 'Come on boy, let's take your readin' indoors' he said patting Caleb on the shoulder and waving Lucas off his property.

Lucas stared in disbelief as he was left alone on the porch, this family was really beginning to irk him and now they had roped his old loyal friend into the mix.

* * *

Gail entered Matt Crowers empty office uninvited and threw her bag down on the floor, then took a seat behind his desk. She had just come from a long visit to Juniper house and after experiencing some initial resistance from the staff, she had let her darkness roam free to see if it could be of any help with her current problem.

She had come face to face with her apparent past self and after accepting the strangeness that had ensued, she needed to get back to some normality; therefore, she chosen to visit her old friend to bring her back to reality.

Rita had spotted Gail when she entered the hospital and had informed her that Matt was busy with a surgery. Gail had made some small talk to make the now heavily pregnant woman feel valued then made her way unchallenged to her friends office, where she could enjoy some peace and quiet. She was unsure how her actions at Juniper House would play out, but being alone here would give her time to contemplate what she had done and what she hoped to accomplish.

Gail leaned back in Matt's comfortable reclining chair and sighed, she supposed there would be consequences to her actions; however, at the present time she did not care and welcomed whatever challenge would be thrown her way.

* * *

Ben sat behind the counter in the Sheriff's Station, he only had 10 minutes left on shift then he was off for the remainder of the weekend. It had appeared that time had frozen for the past few hours, as his shift was dragging today; however, there was not long left now and he was finding it hard to hide his excitement.

The sound of the bell above the door ringing took Ben out of his thoughts and he stared at the four men dressed in long white medical jackets, who just stood looking at him with blank eyes. The realization that his shift was about to be longer than anticipated set in and he let out a long irritated sigh. 'Can I help you?' he asked abruptly.

'Innocent' proclaimed one of the men, stepping forward from the group.

Ben glanced at them all suspiciously, then let out a small laugh. 'I don't know who's sent you to mess with me but my shift is nearly over people, so you can take your joke somewhere else'

'He's innocent' the man repeated and took another step closer to the counter.

Ben did not like the blankness in their eyes and picked up the communicator under the counter. 'Lucas...you might wanna get out here' he said quietly, not taking his eyes off the people before him.

Lucas came out of his office ready to snap at his Deputy for interrupting his thoughts, then spotted the Juniper House employees who were due to testify against Billy Peele. He could sense something was off about them; however, he could not pierce through the thick fog that appeared to be protecting their brains. 'Carl, what's this about?' he asked, approaching the man at the front of the group.

Ben took a step back when he noticed something in all their eyes change.

The four men turned towards Lucas in unison and smiled grimly. 'Billy Peele is innocent...' Carl said regarding Lucas confidently, '...The treatment he introduced was working and the patients were showing progress, nothing he did pushed them to the actions they took and I will testify to that'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Carl and took a step closer. 'You don't know what you're sayin' friend, you already entered your statement to me remember?'

'I will testify to innocence' one of the men behind Carl said.

'I will also testify to that' said the man next to him'

'We will all testify to Billy Peele's innocence' said the third man behind Carl and Carl nodded in agreement.

Ben could not believe what he was seeing, these people were acting like robots reading off a script; however, their testimony would go a long way in proving his friends innocence. 'I think we should listen to what they have to say Lucas' he stated, then took a step back at the look of anger on Lucas' face.

'When I want an opinion from you I'll beat it out of you, OK?...' he shot back at Ben, then turned his attention to the men before him. '...You all need to think about what you're doin', you don't wanna make an enemy of me'

Carl smiled devilishly at Lucas, then they all left the Sheriff's Station. They had said what they needed to say and would come in officially tomorrow to record it on an official statement.

Ben glanced at Lucas for a moment, then spotted the time and reached for his jacket. 'Seen as you don't need my opinion boss, I'll be finishin' for the night' he said and followed the men out of the building.

Lucas watched Ben leave and tried to push down his anger, there was only one person who could have pulled off a stunt like this and he had no idea how she figured out how to do this.

Lucas inhaled deeply to calm himself and turned towards Floyd who had just entered the building to start his shift. He forced a smile for his employee then grabbed his jacket and decided to finish up for the day himself, it was about time he paid his love a visit.

* * *

Gail sat on Abe's porch with her family listening to Caleb's opinion on Hitler, it appeared that he had stumbled across an old history book and had taken to the subject. Although she did not approve of him learning about these dark times at such a young age, it was nice to see him applying himself and she had also been fascinated with the subject when she was of a similar age.

She smiled as Caleb tried to enlighten her on facts that she already knew, if only he would put this much effort into his schoolwork then they would have no problem at all. When he had finished reciting the facts he had learned, she stood up and gave him a round of applause. 'Well I for one am impressed with your knowledge in this matter, I don't know how you stumbled across that book of yours but I'm happy you've found something that interests you'

Caleb glanced at Abe who shook his head indicating he should not admit to where he had gotten the book, then just smiled back at his cousin. 'I heard you wrote an article about this when you were younger, can I read it?' he asked expectantly.

Gail shot Abe an unimpressed look, then softened when the old man just winked at her affectionately. 'That was a long time ago when I was in college Caleb, I don't even know if the article would be in their archives and I don't think you should...'

'Ah don't worry about that Rosie, I got the article with my keepsakes upstairs...I'm sure you wouldn't mind the boy admirin' your work' Abe interrupted as he stood up and started heading inside.

Gail regarded Abe curiously and helped him to his front door. 'How in god's name did you manage to get that article? It was over 10 years ago' she asked baffled.

Abe gave her a warm smile and stroked her cheek affectionately, before he could answer her question he sensed an intruder on his property.

'You'll find this ol' man in very resourceful Miss Emory...' Lucas said as he stood at the bottom of the porch steps, '...He's been followin' your work for years I believe'

Gail rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh, she smiled when Abe gave her arm a gentle squeeze and stepped out of his way to allow him to face Lucas.

'What are you doin' here boy? Two visits in one day ain't like you, should I be expectin' this to become a regular routine now?' he asked, unimpressed at the interruption.

Lucas nodded towards his son who was at least acknowledging him on this visit, then turned his attention to Abe. 'I'm here for her old man...are you gonna stand in my way?' he asked malevolently, having lost all patience after what he witnessed earlier.

Abe pushed Gail behind him and stood tall against his friend. 'You dare come on my property and use that tone with me boy?...Have you forgotten who I am?'

'No sir, but it appears you've forgotten who I am friend' Lucas stated and took a step closer to the group.

Gail pulled Abe gently behind her and shot Lucas a look of warning. 'I appears you've forgotten who I am Sheriff' she said not attempting to hide the undertone of malice from her voice. She stared at Lucas defiantly for a moment longer, then turned her attention back towards Abe. 'It's alright Uncle, can you take the children inside and locate that article for Caleb please? I have some business I need to attend to out here'

Abe looked at Gail suspiciously, then shook his head and signaled for the children to follow him.

Gail walked casually past Lucas down the porch steps and headed towards the back of the house. She went to the radio on the back porch and switched it on to allow the music to drown out their inevitable conversation so no prying family could hear them. As the sweet sound of Kris Kristofferson's song 'To Beat The Devil' came out of the speakers, she strolled to the roses towards the back of the garden and admired their beauty while she waited for Lucas to reach her.

Lucas stood behind her so their bodies were almost touching and looked over her shoulder at the roses. He had noted previously that she had been fascinated with these flowers, even though she tried to convince him she was allergic when she first came to Trinity. He tried to push down his intrigue with her to allow himself to think clearly. 'What did you do Gail?' he whispered in her ear.

Gail inhaled deeply in an attempt to control her urges, then turned her head up so she could look into her eyes. 'Honestly I don't even know...but it was fun' she answered, sensing a lie at this time would cause consequences for someone.

Lucas regarded her curiously, it was strange that she was not denying her involvement as she always tried to shield her darkness from him and this was an interesting turn of events. 'I'm glad someone is havin' fun Darlin', unfortunately now I'm gonna have to clean up your mess'

Gail lsmiled and turned around to face him fully. 'I doubt that would be a good idea sweetheart, something tell me that little party of four sung from the rooftops all the way home after their visit with you...In fact I have it on good authority that their voices could be heard from miles around, resulting in an article being printed as we speak for the front page of tomorrow mornings Trinity Guardian' she smiled triumphantly.

Lucas let out an exasperated breath and shook his head. 'You think you've won love?' he asked in a devilish tone.

'Won?...' she laughed, '...Oh I believe the game has only just started love'

Lucas could not hold back his anger or his urges any longer and gripped her neck in his hand, then began to squeeze. He watched curiously as she stared deeply into his eyes and her smile did not falter.

'Gail?' Caleb called from the back porch, then walked down the steps to approach the pair.

Gail's smile grew wider as she felt Lucas instantly release her and saw the fury in his eyes. 'Oh calm down soul mate...' she whispered sarcastically, '...you're not gonna direct that anger towards your beloved son are you?'

Lucas took a step back from his love to create some space. If it was any other time he would class her admission of them being soul mates a victory; however, she had found a way to disrupt his plans and had clearly known his son would come out to save her from his wrath.

Caleb stood between Gail and Lucas, then regarded Lucas suspiciously. 'Has somethin' happened?' he asked, sensing the rage beneath his fathers skin.

Lucas just shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Nothin' you need to worry about son' he reassured him, knowing Gail was untouchable now.

Gail could sense the rage beneath Lucas' surface also and knew he would direct that on some innocent party. 'You know what? I'm starving...are you hungry Sheriff?'

Lucas regarded her suspiciously, but did not say a word.

'I could eat a horse!' Caleb spoke up, when Lucas remained silent and watched the man carefully.

'I think our Sheriff is hungry too...Go grab your sister and Abe, we're gonna go out for a meal' Gail ordered Caleb, then stepped closer to Lucas when the boy had entered the house.

Lucas looked at her intently, he was seething and he needed to release his rage or he felt as though he would explode.

'Don't worry about that love...' Gail whispered as she reached down and cupped his manhood in her hands gently, '...I'm sure we can find some way to release that pent up emotion at your favorite restaurant.

Lucas shook his head and laughed, she was smart he would give her that. He would never turn down an opportunity to play happy family with his son and her in public, it appeared she had this whole thing planned out. He would play along for now, knowing this is what she required to ease her worry about who would be punished for her interference; however, he would bide his time and strike when she least expected it.

-The end-


End file.
